Hong Kong elections reform: Carrie Lam promises fast-track legislative process for Beijing-decreed overhaul

Lawmakers can work through the necessary legislation underpinning the reforms with extra sittings and by relegating other bills, Lam says

Swift progress is needed to ensure the changes are made in time for the coming run of elections in the city, the chief executive adds

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Hong Kong lawmakers should quickly pass legislation on the central government’s overhaul of the city’s electoral system, Carrie Lam says. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 4:52pm, 16 Mar 2021Updated: 6:09pm, 30 Mar 2021

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has vowed to fast-track the local legislation required for delivering the Beijing-decreed overhaul of the city’s electoral system, suggesting lawmakers can accelerate the process by holding extra meetings and setting aside other business.

The chief executive also said on Tuesday that an omnibus bill allowing the government to amend several ordinances in one go would be tabled in the Legislative Council to help simplify the undertaking, given the proposed restructuring requires changes to more than 20 pieces of legislation.

“We have to hold three elections in the coming 12 months,” Lam said, referring to the now-postponed Legco polls, the Election Committee race and the chief executive contest.

“I believe that lawmakers and members of the public would not want to see that these elections could not be held, especially the chief executive election, which has to be held by the end of next March.”

Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the State Council’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, also told a group of officials and pro-establishment figures in a closed-door meeting on Tuesday that Beijing had to take the lead on the overhaul.

Zhang, who is among the team of Beijing officials currently in town for three days of consultative talks on the electoral overhaul with key figures in the city, suggested the reform would not have materialised if it was conducted based on the usual five-step procedure, under which the local administration would have to secure the support of at least two-thirds of lawmakers for its proposals.